Scriber



Aug. 25, 1964 c. A. LEACH 3,145,478

SCRIBER Filed May 16, 1962 Fig. '2 2 ,Z4/ 4A F/g. 5 4 25 INVENTORChar/es A. Leach United States Patent 3,145,473 SCRIBER Charles A.Lea-eh, R0. Box 1155, Tulare, Calif. Filed May 16, 1962, Ser. No.195,953 Claims. (Cl. 33-153) This invention relates to scribers and moreparticularly to a scriber specially designed for use by floor coveringcraftsmen and the like.

For the benefit of those having little or no knowledge of hand tools andthe like, let it be said that Websters Dictionary defines the scriber asA sharp pointed tool for marking off materia Although the scriber ismore generally associated with the metal working and wood working arts,it has, of course, been adopted by other arts having need for a tool ofthis type. Unfortunately, there has been little if any real developmentdone on scribes to better improve their use in any of the newer artssuch as that followed by floorcovering craftsmen and the like.

Although I personally call this invention of mine a template scriber, Ifully realize that the term template as so applied as not too wellunderstood by those outside the art who may come into contact with thesame, and I therefore drop the word template in this specification.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a scriberspecially designed to overcome all of the objections the floor coveringcraftsmen have of the usual scriber now available.

Another object of this invention is to provide a scriber of thecharacter described with a new and novel means of both removing andadjusting its needle points.

Another object of this invention is to provide a scriber of thecharacter described that will stay in its set position once it has beenadjusted to the same.

Another object of this invention is to provide a scriber of thecharacter described that is rugged and therefore will have a long usefullife even when given hard usage.

Another object of this invention is to provide a scriber of thecharacter described that can readily be manufactured by any companyhaving machinery adapted to the metal working arts.

Another object of this invention is to provide a scriber manufacturedfrom readily obtainable materials of standard shapes and stock size.

Another object of this invention is to provide a scriber of thecharacter described that has a new and novel means of providing itsneedle points to be affixed in any position within 360 degrees.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a scriber of thecharacter described having spring loaded needle points.

Other and further objects and advantages of this scriber will behereinafter described, and the novel features thereof defined in theappended claims.

Referring to the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a side view of this invention, phantom lines show a typicaladjusted position;

FIGURE 2 is a top view of this invention;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view of this invention taken substantially alongline 33 of FIGURE 1 as viewed in the position indicated by the arrows;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged sectional view of one needle point mounting ofthis invention;

FIGURE 5 is a bottom view, looking upward of FIG- URE 4.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout theseveral views of the drawing.

Having reference now to the drawing in detail, there is generallyindicated by the character a scriber comprising a star-shaped member 11having eight equally spaced points 12 that are alternately bent at rightangle to one 3,l45,4?8 Patented Aug. 25, 1964 manner as to place thesleeve 17 in the same plane as the' aforesaid sleeve 16.

A circular knurled edged nut 19 screwed on to that end of the headedscrew 13 that projects outward from the center of the disk 15 securelyholds this novel invention of a scriber together.

Looking again at FIGURES 1 and 2 of the appended drawing, it will beseen that the aforesaid tubular sleeves 16 and 17 are each provided withinternal threads for the reception of the legs 2% and 21 each of whichis identical in shape and size and which embodies an externally threadedupper end 22 and a lower end 23 having a recess 24 terminating in acircular depression adapted to receive the blunt end 25 of a needlepoint 26. The aforesaid circular depression is at an angle to thelongitudinal axis of the leg in which it is formed as one can well seeon examination of FIGURES 3 and 4 of the appended drawing.

Each of the aforesaid legs 20 and 21 is placed in a tube 27 having acompression spring 28 on the upper end thereof when this uniqueinvention is assembled as one can readily see by examination of theappended drawing which also illustrates the fact that each tube 27 isprevented from slipping down off the legs 20 and 21 by reason of theangularly disposed needle point 26.

It is obvious from the above described construction of this inventionthat the needle sleeve or tube as it is herein called is entirely newand different from the set screw principal that is found in scribers nowon the market. The method by which the needle points 26 are removed ortheir angular position in relation to each other is changed is obviousto anyone experienced in the art, however, for the benefit for those notso experienced let it be said that all that is necessary for one to dois to unscrew the headless set screw 29 that is in the upper end of thetubular sleeves l6 and I7 and which controls the length of the legs ofthe scriber by the distance in which the legs 20 and 21 are screwed intothe aforesaid tubular sleeves.

The construction and method of point adjustment and removal of thisnovel invention of a scriber has now been described in detail and itsmethod of use is so obvious to anyone ever having any experience withtools and or instruments that nothing more need be said concerning thesame.

From the above description of this novel invention one can see that theaforesaid needle point 26 can be rotated in any position within 360degrees and fully locked in any desired position. It is obvious that thecompression spring 28 pressing downward on the tube 27 will bind theneedle point 26 in what I call its socket (circular depression in thelower end 23 of the legs 20 and 21). To remove the needle point 26 onehas only to grip the tube 27 and compress the spring 28 by moving thetube towards the spring. This action frees the needle point for removaland or replacement as one may desire.

From the foregoing it will now be seen that there is herein provided ascriber which accomplishes all of the objects of this invention, andothers, including many advantages of great practical utility andcommercial importance. As many embodiments may be made of this inventiveconcept, and as many modifications may be made in the embodimenthereinbefore shown and described, it will be understood that all matterherein is to be interpreted merely as illustrative, and not in alimiting sense.

What I new claim as my invention is:

I. A scriber of the character described comprising a star-shaped memberhaving a plurality of equally spaced points each one of which is bent atright angle and diametrically opposite another one of the points, and adisk on each side of the said star-shaped member against which itspoints are in pressure contact, and means of adjustably holding the saidstar-shaped member and said disk together and a leg having a threadedupper end adapted to engage an internally threaded sleeve secured toeach one of the said disks and a tube having a compression spring at theupper end thereof adapted to receive each said leg and extendingdownward, each leg having a recess in the lower end thereof in whichthere is an angularly disposed depression in which is placed the bluntend of a needle point which is both removable and adjustable.

2. A scriber of the character described comprising a star-shaped memberhaving a plurality of equally spaced points each one of which is bent atright angle and diametrically opposite another one of the points, and adisk on each side of the said star-shaped member against which itspoints are in pressure contact, and means of adjustably holding the saidstar-shaped member and said disk together and a leg having a threadedupper end adapted to engage an internally threaded sleeve secured toeach one of the said disks and a tube having a compression spring at theupper end thereof adapted to receive each said leg and a headless setscrew adapted to the upper end of each one of a tubular sleeve securedto each one of the said disks thereby providing adjustment of each saidleg and extending downward, each leg having a recess in the lower endthereof in which there is an angularly disposed depression in which isplaced the blunt end of a needle point which is both removable andadjustable.

3, A scriber of the character described comprising a star-shaped memberhaving a plurality of equally spaced points each one of which is bent atright angle and diametrically opposite another one of the points, and adisk on each side of the said star-shaped member against which itspoints are in pressure contact, and means of adjustably holding the saidstar-shaped member and said disk together and a leg having a threadedupper end adapted to engage an internally threaded sleeve secured toeach one of the said disks and a tube having a compression spring at theupper end thereof adapted to receive each said leg and a headless setscrew adapted to the upper end of each one of a tubular sleeve securedto each one of the said disks thereby providing adjustment of each saidleg and a headed screw passing through the center of the said disk andsaid star-shaped member thereby adjustably securing the same together bymeans of a circular knurled edged nut and extending downward, each leghaving a recess in the lower end thereof in which there is an angularlydisposed depression in which is placed the blunt end of a needle pointwhich is both removable and adjustable.

4. A scriber of the character described, comprising, two disks, meansfor adjustably holding the disks together, a leg having a threaded upperend adapted to engage an internally threaded sleeve secured to each oneof the said disks and a tube having a compression spring at the upperend thereof adapted to receive each said leg and extending downward,each leg having a recess in the lower end thereof in which there is anangularly disposed depression in which is placed the blunt end of aneedle point which is both removable and adjustable.

5. A scriber of the character described, comprising, two disks, meansfor adjustably holding the disks together, a leg having a threaded upperend adapted to engage an internally threaded sleeve secured to each oneof the said disks and a tube having a compression spring at the upperend thereof adapted to receive each said leg and a headless set screwadapted to the upper end of each one of a tubular sleeve secured to eachone of the said disks thereby providing adjustment of each said leg andextending downward, each leg having a recess in the lower end thereof inwhich there is an angularly disposed depression in which is placed theblunt end of a needle point which is both removable and adjustable.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS377,867 Stevens Feb. 14, 1888 682,539 Freuler Sept. 10, 1911 713,255Traut Nov. 11, 1912 1,109,467 Robinson Sept. 1, 1914 1,539,422 LundquistMay 26, 1925 FOREIGN PATENTS 501,177 Italy Nov. 23, 1954 542,918 CanadaJuly 2, 1957

1. A SCRIBER OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED COMPRISING A STAR-SHAPED MEMBERHAVING A PLURALITY OF EQUALLY SPACED POINTS EACH ONE OF WHICH IS BENT ATRIGHT ANGLE AND DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSITE ANOTHER ONE OF THE POINTS, AND ADISK ON EACH SIDE OF THE SAID STAR-SHAPED MEMBER AGAINST WHICH ITSPOINTS ARE IN PRESSURE CONTACT, AND MEANS OF ADJUSTABLY HOLDING THE SAIDSTAR-SHAPED MEMBER AND SAID DISK TOGETHER AND A LEG HAVING A THREADEDUPPER AND ADAPTED TO ENGAGE AN INTERNALLY THREADED SLEEVE SECURED TOEACH ONE OF THE SAID DISKS AND A TUBE HAVING A COMPRESSION SPRING AT THEUPPER END THEREOF ADAPTED TO RECEIVE EACH SAID LEG AND EXTENDINGDOWNWARD, EACH LEG HAVING A RECESS IN THE LOWER END THEREOF IN WHICHTHERE IS AN ANGULARLY DISPOSED DEPRESSION IN WHICH IS PLACED THE BLUNTEND OF A NEEDLE POINT WHICH IS BOTH REMOVABLE AND ADJUSTABLE.